Architect shows low-slung police headquarters concept, board presses on floodplain and site impacts

James Keenan, introduced as president of Architect Workshop, presented early schematic designs and elevation concepts for the towns proposed police headquarters, emphasizing local materials and low-slung massing intended to fit Nolensvilles character.

The plan envisions a main public lobby facing a landscaped plaza, a community room and a separate annex housing fitness, lockers and training spaces. Keenan showed exterior concepts drawing on local limestone and buff-colored brick and said the design aims to balance durability, economy and civic presence. "Architecture is an act of optimism," he told the board as he outlined porches, gable forms and vertical window patterns that reference local barns and civic buildings.

Commissioners focused on site constraints. The architect said the building footprint and secured parking were located outside the 500-year floodplain using the latest FEMA data and that engineers had proposed stormwater treatment areas to manage runoff. One commissioner pressed about vehicle-storage exposure; staff and the architect said the secured lot and sally port are outside the floodplain and that civil engineers would refine elevations.

Board members also asked staff to consider future trail connections and recreational expansion across the creek, noting the park and trail master plan should inform final site layout.

What happens next: Keenan said schematics are still in progress and that the team will refine materials, window patterns and grade work after further civil and floodplain analysis. Staff will return with more detailed cost estimates and an updated site plan.